The Little Master
by verner2
Summary: This story is based off a Russian fairy tale.


**I own nothing in this story**

Once there lived a king and a queen named James and Lily Potter; they had a son called Harry and with him always was his servant Dobby. When the king and queen died Harry and Dobby were all alone and went wandering in the wide world.

They walked and walked and walked till they saw a pond, and near the pond a herd of cows was grazing. "I am thirsty," said Dobby. "I want to drink."

"Do not drink, Dobby, or you will become a calf," said Harry.

The servant heeded his and they went on farther; they walked and walked and saw a river, and near it a drove of horses. "Ah, Master," Dobby said, "If you only knew how thirsty I am!"

"Do not drink, Dobby, or you will become a colt." Dobby heeded him, and they went on farther; they walked and walked and saw a lake, and near it a flock of sheep.

"Ah, little Master, I am terribly thirsty," Dobby said.

"Do not drink, Dobby, or you will become a sheep." Dobby heeded him and they went on farther; they walked and walked and saw a stream, and near it pigs were feeding.

"Ah, little Master, I must drink," Dobby said. "I am frightfully thirsty."

"Do not drink, Dobby, or you will become a piglet." Dobby heeded him again and they went on farther; they walked and walked and saw a flock of goats grazing near a well.

"Ah, little Master, now I must drink," Dobby said.

"Do not drink, Dobby, or you will become a kid." But he could not restrain himself and did not heed his master; he drank from the well, and became a kid. He leaped before Harry and cried: "Maa-ka-ka! maa-ka-ka!"

Harry tied him with a silken belt and led him on, shedding tears, bitter tears. The kid ran and ran till he ran into the garden of a certain king named Viktor Krum. The servants saw him and at once reported to the king. "Your Majesty," they said, "in our garden there is a kid; a young man is leading him on a belt, and he is a great beauty."

"The Viktor ordered them to find out who he was. The servants asked him where he came from and what his parentage was. "There were a king and a queen and they died," said Harry. "My servant and I remained - I, the prince, and my loyal servant. He could not restrain himself and drank water from a well, and became a kid." The servants reported all this to the king. He called Harry before him and questioned him about everything; he pleased him and he wanted to marry him. Soon they celebrated their wedding and began to live together, and the kid lived with them; he walked in the garden and ate and drank with the king and queen, his masters.  
One day the king went hunting. While he was away a sorcerer named Draco came and cast a spell on the queen; Harry fell ill and became thin and pale. Everything became gloomy at the king's palace; the flowers in the garden began to fade, the trees to dry, and the grass to wither. The king returned and asked the Harry: "Are you sick?"

"Yes, I am sick," answered the queen.

Next day the king again went hunting. Harry lay ill; Draco came to him and said: "Do you want me to heal you? Go to such and such a sea at twilight and drink water there." Harry heeded her and at twilight went to that sea. The sorcerer was waiting for him, seized him, tied a stone around his neck, and cast him into the sea. Harry sank to the bottom; the kid ran to the shore and wept bitterly. But the sorceress turned herself into the likeness of the queen and went back to the palace.

Viktor came home and was overjoyed to find that his wife, his queen was well again. They set the table and began to dine. "But where is the kid?" asked Viktor.

"We don't want him with us," said Draco. "I gave orders that he be shut out; he has a goat like smell."

Next day, as soon as the king went hunting, the sorcerer beat and beat Dobby, the kid and threatened: "When the king returns I will ask him to slaughter you."

The king returned and the sorcerer begged him over and over again to have the kid slaughtered. "I am annoyed with him, I am tired of him," he said.

The king pitied the kid, but there was nothing to be done; the queen insisted and urged him so much that in the end he consented and gave leave to have the kid slaughtered. The kid saw that steel knives were being sharpened for him, and he wept. He ran to the king and implored him: "King, give me leave to go to the sea, to drink water, to rinse my insides." The king let him go. The kid ran to the sea, stood on the shore, and cried plaintively.

Harry, my little Master,  
Come up, come up to the shore.  
Hot fires are burning,  
Big kettles are boiling,  
Steel knives are being sharpened -  
They want to slaughter me!

He answered him.

Dobby, my servant,  
The heavy stone is pulling me down,  
The cruel serpent has sucked out my heart.

The kid wept and returned home. In the middle of the day he again asked Victor: "King, give me leave to go to the sea, to drink water and rinse my insides." Viktor allowed him to go. Dobby ran to the sea and cried plaintively.

Harry, my little Master,  
Come up, come up to the shore.  
Hot fires are burning,  
Big kettles are boiling,  
Steel knives are being sharpened -  
They want to slaughter me!

Harry answered him.

Dobby, my servant,  
The heavy stone is pulling me down,  
The cruel serpent has sucked out my heart.

Dobby wept and returned home. Viktor wondered why the kid kept running to the sea. Now Dobby asked him for the third time: "King, give me leave to go to the sea, to drink water and rinse my insides." Viktor let him go and followed him. When he came to the sea he heard the kid calling to his Master.

Harry, my little Master,  
Come up, come up to the shore.  
Hot fires are burning,  
Big kettles are boiling,  
Steel knives are being sharpened -  
They want to slaughter me!

He answered him.

Dobby, my servant,  
The heavy stone is pulling me down,  
The cruel serpent has sucked out my heart.

The kid again called to his Master. Harry swam up and came to the surface. The king snatched him, tore the stone from his neck, pulled him ashore, and asked him how all this had happened. He told him everything. Viktor was overjoyed and so also was Dobby, the kid; he capered, and everything in the garden grew green and blossomed again. The king ordered Draco to be put to death; a stake of wood was set up in the courtyard and he was burned. After that the king, the queen, and the kid began to live happily and to prosper and to eat and drink together as before.

**This is based on the Russian fairy tale '****The sister Alionushka'**


End file.
